Two days after the banquet, Claire and her friends deeds at the banquet soon became widespread gossip in the northern part of Findara, rumors even spread that Claire had tried to poison the eldest daughter of the Boxton's due to jealousy, but the rumors were soon to die down on the next day after the banquet, because Claire was backed by the power of the Morrison's, nobody wanted to be on the Morrison's bad page.
Ara's name had also passed by people's mouth, but she refused to be involved in any of those gossip, because all she could only worry about was how the crown Prince was going to visit her.
Was he planning to make a royal visit at the Boxton mansion? What was she going to say to her father about the Prince? Hamon and Ara had no contact with each other before, What if he showed up like he did on the night of the banquet?
Ara was so stressed out thinking of the mysterious crown Prince, since the night of the banquet, she wasn't supposed to be worrying about him like this, thinking about him had been distracting her from her daily life, she couldn't even get her work done at the mansion.
If the crown Prince was to visit her at the mansion, it would cause too much attention to their family, he was the heir to the throne, and his movements were closely watched by the whole kingdom. Additionally all of the high society were in excitement to meet the crown Prince at the grand ball coming, it had been announced a day ago that the crown Prince will make his first appearance at the grand ball. All the nobles in the kingdom were preparing for the grand ball, they couldn't wait to see the demon cursed Prince.
If Prince Hamon was to make a royal visit to the Boxton mansion, he would surely draw attention to them, which Ara was trying to avoid by any chance.
Ara sat closer to her room's window, lost in thought, she racked her brain for what to do. Suddenly an idea came to her mind.
How about she met him half way? He would surely find her like he did on the night of the banquet, she could met the crown Prince at the middle town. With that idea in mind, Ara got up and walked out of her room, she had to go before he appeared at her house,
"James, prepare my carriage, I'll be going out in a while." She ordered the passing servant who quickly bowed at her, "Yes milady, I'll get it done right away."
After Emma her maid helped her prepare, she hurried out of the mansion and found James the servant waiting in front of her prepared carriage,
"Milady, the carriage is ready...should I go and call the guards to escort yo-"
Ara cut him off, "No need for that, I just needed some fresh air outside the mansion, I won't stay long."
"Yes milady."
Ara quickly stepped into the carriage and the coachman turned around to ask, "Where to milady?"
"To the middle town."
She had to go to the middle town where it would be easy to spot the royal carriage.
After arriving at the middle town, Where people were buzzing around. Ara told her coachman to come back for her later in the evening.
Ara headed to the busy part of the town, not long after she noticed some men in black clothing following behind her, ' Who are these men?' She thought internally, they were following far behind her, but she knew the men were after her. Ara had noticed them since she started walking down the town, she hoped the crown Prince would appear somehow, so that she didn't have to fight in the middle of the town.
She glanced behind and saw they were four men now, this wasn't good, she had to leave the town before they attacked or even attempt to kill her. With that thought in mind, she made a left turn that led to a quiet alley, but the men still followed her to the direction she took, who could these men be? Why were they following her?
Ara wondered who could have sent people after her, Claire's face suddenly emerged in her mind, she wasn't sure if Claire could go to such extreme, but Claire was the only person who had a grudge against her. Ara walked deeper into the dark alley, Where she could not be easily seen, she had came out to the town without her sword, because she wasn't expecting to be followed by strange men. Well, now she had no choice but to deal with them with her hands, she would make sure to have them confess who sent them after her.
It was a matter of capturing and interrogating her pursuers, the process of extracting the truth wouldn't be so easy.
Ara walked into another alley without hesitation, she looked around and found a suitable place to deal with her pursuers, she smirked at the idea of beating the truth out of them, she was about to walk to the place, when suddenly a hand covered her mouth and drag her to the opposite direction.
Ara immediately kicked the person's stomach with her elbow, it was a hard kick, but the person wasn't feeling it, she was about to kick again, when the person swiftly captured her hand, she heard a low voice in her ear before she was able to launch the next attack,
"Keep still trouble maker."
He only spoke a few words, but she immediately knew who it was, Ara stopped struggling.
Why does he always like to take her by surprise? She frowned angrily and smacked the hand covering her mouth, the Prince removed his hand from her mouth and released his grip. Ara turned around angrily ready to fume at him, but immediately swallowed her words when her gaze slowly moved upwards, hard muscular chest, popped out of his unbuttoned shirt, sliver hair poured down his broad shoulders, and his beautiful slender neck, her gaze rested on his face, a sharp jawline and straight nose. Then finally his dark red eyes that stared down at her, they burned like red flames.
"Your Highness..."
Ara's words died down, he always made her speechless, he had enough height that she could only make eye contact when she raised her head, he was dressed strangely again today, with a crooked smile on his face, which she badly wanted to wiped off his face. Ara's breath caught as she glanced at his open chest again. Does he have to leave it open?
Ara had completely forgotten about the men following her until she saw the crown Prince carefully checking their surroundings, she wondered if he knew the men following her.
The alley turned silent, but then she heard the Prince chuckle. Ara looked up at him with a confused expression, then he whispered to her ear,
"Why does trouble always follow you around, future wife?"
A blush crept up her cheeks as she felt his warm breath on her ear. Ara stepped back from him.
"You can always talk without having to whisper to my ears, Your Highness...And please don't come close to me next time when you talk."
At her cold tone, Hamon's smile fell he then stepped back to lean against the wall, he stared at her with his burning red eyes,
"Don't worry, I won't whisper or touch you again." Not until you become my wife, Hamon thought in his mind, he would try not to annoy her until she became his wife, "So please stop looking at me like that."
"Like how?"
"Like am some kind of a villain who wants to kill you... Don't forget am innocent here, it was you who came to me with a marriage proposal."
Ara couldn't argue on that, because he was right, but that doesn't give him the right to touch or come closer to her. Ara glared at him and looked away, then she heard him say,
"My future wife is very famous, that wherever she goes, trouble follows her around, just like your fans following you earlier."
At his sarcastic words, Ara realized the men were gone.
"Do you know the men following me earlier?"
"How should I know them, aren't they your fans?" He asked with a raised brow, then he moved to start walking without waiting for her reply.
Ara glared at his back, does he always have to be sarcastic? She started to follow behind him, and after a short distance, they reached a small house.
Hamon seemed to have planned a safe place for his meeting with Ara, on the outside the house looked quite small and ordinary.